Hot Chocolate with Two Cubes of Hope
by When the Sun Rises
Summary: Falling in love isn't always the happy ending. Sometimes, it's the chances you take after. A Contestshipping one-shot


May sipped her steaming cup of hot chocolate with her eyes narrowed at her phone. She had just finished training for a contest when her favorite story got updated. Her stomach sunk and her toes curled in excitement. The story's author said this update would be the last chapter. There were a lot of loose ends in the last one. Maybe everything would tie together tonight.

Half an hour passed when May reached the end of the page. Her face was pale and her smile had fallen into a deep grimace. "No," she shook her head, "no, it can't end like that!"

But she didn't dare reread the last paragraphs. She accidentally glimpsed at the last line, however. If she didn't get herself together, she would break down in tears.

"May?"

May yelped and clutched her chest. Drew stood a few feet from her booth, an eyebrow raised in confusion. He had gotten tall over the years, so he had to tilt his head to see his rival's horrified expression.

"Drew!" May groaned. "You scared me!"

"Really? _I_ scared you?" he took a seat across her table. "You looked _traumatized_ when I walked in."

May noticed her surroundings. A clock above the restaurant's exit said it was about ten minutes after eight o'clock. The diner was located at a secluded part of a beach, so she could hear the ocean roaring outside the windows. Soft ukulele music played in the background, and the lamp over her head cast down warm yellow light. She had forgotten where she was for more than thirty minutes. She instantly regretted remembering why.

"Oh gosh," she threw her head back, "I'm a wreck."

"Yes, you are," Drew smirked, "but it doesn't answer my question."

May shot him a glare and crossed her arms. "Don't worry about it."

"Why?"

"It's stupid."

"Not it if it was enough to traumatize you."

"Ugh, just!" May slammed her palms against her seat and raked her head. Then she stopped. "Wait," she looked at him, "why are you here?"

"I was about to eat dinner when I saw you," Drew answered. "But don't change the subject, May."

"Why do you care so much?" May asked. "Can't a person be mortified without being questioned? You came here to order dinner right? Here," she handed him a menu pressed against the wall, "order food."

"Alright," Drew accepted it, "but I'm going to eat here so you can answer my question."

May shot him another glare. "Fine."

Fifteen minutes later, Drew received a plate of fish and chips with a side of broccoli. It was a feast fit for dinner, which May realized she had yet to have. She only ordered hot chocolate.

"No food, May?" Drew took a fry.

"I wasn't hungry."

"I find that hard to believe."

"You find a lot of things hard to believe, Drew," May leered. "Which is weird because you question everything."

"Oh, that reminds me," Drew pointed. "You were going to tell me what story you were reading."

May blinked. Earlier, after Drew ordered food, she told him she was reading a story. Their conversation switched to what they did in their spare time when Drew questioned if she read at all. He liked to read too, apparently, but focused more on current events than fiction. It was a great contrast to her interests. Nothing bored or depressed her more than the news.

"Well," May tilted her head, "it's supposed to be a romantic story."

"Supposed to be?"

"Well," she sighed, "they don't end up together in the end."

"Are you saying a story stops being romantic if the characters don't end up together?"

"This one's more like a tragedy," May chuckled bitterly. "The characters don't end up together because the man dies in the end."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well," Drew crossed his arms, "that sucks."

"Easy for you to say," May pouted. "Your life didn't depend on their relationship."

"What?" Drew narrowed his eyes. "These are fictional characters."

"But stories like this happen all the time," she retorted. "Two people fall in love but don't end up together because it wasn't meant to be? The characters didn't even beat around the bush! They were about to get married, but the guy just had to sacrifice himself to save her. It just...just wasn't fair."

"I see," Drew hummed, "these stories give you hope."

"Well, yeah," May pouted. "If these people can't be with the one they love, I probably can't either."

Drew looked disturbed now. "Don't you think connecting your personal life with a fictional story is going a _little_ too far?"

"Maybe," May huffed. "I don't know. I guess I'm still bummed by the story's ending. I was really rooting for them."

"Don't you," Drew leaned forward, "have a romantic relationship...in your own life...to root for?"

May blinked. "What?"

"C'mon, May," Drew smirked, though a bit apprehensively. "Don't you have a man in your life to have a story with?"

May blushed and looked down. "I...uhh...I don't know."

"You don't know."

"I don't like to think about it," she confessed, her eyes still lowered. "I don't want to be...disappointed, you know? I mean, I've known him for a long time but...nothing has happened."

A heavy silenced passed between them. A waitress stopped by to check on their table, but after she had left, things became awkward again.

"Is," Drew cleared his throat, "this guy...someone I know?"

"...yes."

"Is he a coordinator?"

"...yes."

"...is he...me?"

"You know, it's getting late," May took out her wallet from her bag. "I gotta train Venasaur early tomorrow an—"

"May."

May was already heading toward the cashier when Drew took her hand.

"Would you... _like_ something to happen?"

May bit her lip. He was still holding her hand. "I," she tucked her chin, "wouldn't mind."

"Good."

May gasped when his finger tilted her jaw.

"Let's make something happen."


End file.
